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Monthly meeting for the constituency association (CA) of Nanaimo-North Cowichan.
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Early Years of the Green Party of BC
The Green Party of BC was founded in January 1983 and registered as both a society (The Green Party Political Association of BC) and a political party on February 4, 1983. A short time later, BC Greens ran first Green Party candidate, Betty Nickerson in a federal by-election. Under the leadership of Adriane Carr, the party then ran four candidates in the May 1983 election. They received 0.19% of the popular vote.
On the weekend of November 4 - 6, 1983, BC Greens attended the founding conference of the Green Party of Canada at Carleton University in Ottawa. In the 1984 federal election, the party fielded 60 candidates, 19 in BC.
In 1984, the Greens formed a civic party in Vancouver. It ran four candidates in the municipal election. Adriane Carr received over 16,000 votes running for School Board.
In 1985, the BC Greens radically restructured itself, abolishing the positions of leader and president and enacting a constitution requiring 100% unanimity consensus to pass any decision. Then leader, Adriane Carr supported these changes.
In 1985, the Green Party of BC was asked to take over the maintenance of the federal party. This arrangement lasted until 1988. Following its 1988 convention in White Rock, the Green Party of Canada resumed electing its own officers, maintaining its own policies and holding its own conventions. It continued to share the office with the Green Party of BC until 1995, when the federal party headquarters moved to London, Ontario.
In 1986 the BC Greens participated in their second provincial election. In the 1988 federal election, 20 candidates ran in BC.
In 1988, Greens formed a civic party in Victoria. In Vancouver, Valerie Jerome received over 23,000 votes, 60% of the number needed to win a seat.
The 1988 provincial convention proved contentious with some questioning the radical elements of the 1985 constitution. A compromise resolution to move from consensus based decision-making to a simple majority failed. A resolution was passed in favour of fielding only female candidates in the next provincial election.